Chad Wittman was moving from the Gold Coast to Naperville with a mattress strapped to the top of his four-door sedan when he realized the moving process could use some innovation. Moving companies, U-Hauls and other services can be time consuming and costly, and there should be a better way to move out of an apartment, he thought.
So Wittman and his team set out to develop an app similar to the Uber/Lyft model where users could request someone with a van or truck, schedule a time to meet, and pay for the service all on their smart phone. Dolly quietly hit the App Store and Google Play in June and has been steadily adding users and "Helpers," which are people with the moving vehicles. Wittman declined to give exact numbers.
Users explain what they need moved on the Dolly app, the app generates a recommended price of the service, which users can adjust higher or lower. Once users set a price, they request a Helper through the app. Helpers can see all pending jobs--like an Uber driver--and respond when they are available. There's a messaging feature in the app so the two can discuss more logistics of the move, like if there's a doorman in the building or if the user needs a dolly.
The service functions best when users request Helpers--who are background checked by Dolly--at least 24 hours in advance, said Wittman, who added that the cost of the move typically comes in less than a moving company or U-Haul truck.
"When people are buying stuff on Craigslist, now they have an option to get that couch home," said Wittman, the company's co-founder and VP of product. "Maybe they were able to move all their boxes by borrowing their friends Prius, but were stuck with a mattress and dresser and just needed help with the last pieces...We thought, why don't we connect these people with people who have vans."
Dolly has bootstrapped up to this point after Wittman and his team recently sold another startup Edgerank Checker, a Facebook analytics tool, back in June. The company is now in the process of fundraising. Currently Dolly doesn't take a percentage of the transaction, but will likely move toward that model in the future, Wittman said.
"The amount people are willing to pay is usually pretty close to what guys are willing to work for," he said. "Most consumers are thrilled to pay a number that's fair without the hassle of a U-Haul or a moving company."
Wittman said the business is focused downtown but people have used the Dolly app in all parts of the city. The range of where the app can reach is dependent on where Helpers are located and willing to drive. The immediate goal for Dolly is to increase users and continue to offer quality service before thinking about heading into new markets, he said.
"Connecting people to get things done, that's our future. We want to expand if it makes sense. But we are taking our time to make sure our customers are happy. I don’t want to expand for sake of expanding."
